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Turkish Court Orders Pro-Kurdish Newspaper Closed

Last Updated: August 16, 2016 11:09 AM

VOA News

A woman passes a picture of the Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim for the 15th anniversary of AKP party as the sign reads ''The people's voice, Turkey's party, it's now fifteen years old'' in Istanbul, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016.

A Turkish court ordered a pro-Kurdish newspaper to close Tuesday, accusing it of engaging in "terrorist propaganda."

The court accused the Ozgur Gundem newspaper of being the "media organ" of the outlawed Kurdish Workers Party, or PKK.

Earlier in the day, state media reported that police raided 44 companies in Istanbul in connection with last month's failed coup.

The Anadolu agency said arrest warrants were issued for a total of 120 company executives accused of providing financial support to Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen,who lives in self-imposed exile in the United States.

Turkey has closed 130 media outlets in the weeks following the coup attempt.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government says Gulen was behind the July 15 coup, which left more than 240 people dead.

Authorities have detained more than 35,000 people in a crackdown that has included purges of officials from Turkey's military, judiciary and education systems.

On Monday, police detained 136 people in raids on Istanbul courts.

Gulen, who lives in the United States, has denied having anything to do with the attempted coup. Turkey is demanding his extradition.